My invention relates to improvements in the cooling of personal computers, particularly IBM PC and XT personal computers.
If internal operating temperatures in a personal computer are excessive, lives of computer components are shortened, computer reliability is reduced, and further expansion of functions is limited. I discovered the IBM PC and XT computers were suffering excessive operating temperatures, i.e., as high as about 130.degree., (when ambient temperatures were around 77.degree.). This has occurred apparently because the designers of these computers did not anticipate the levels of additions of heat producing modifications to the computers. Such additions have occurred largely in expansion cards, which are more numerous and which are more heat producing than may have been anticipated, due to the trend to perform more functions with personal computers and due to the trend to concentrate more electronic functions per unit space of expansion cards. Such expansion cards include hardcards, in color graphics board, in multifunction board, in accelerator board, etc. In other words, the computer designers apparently did not fully anticipate the high densities of power hungry components that would be packed in the expansion cards. Electronic chips get hotter with increased sophistication and higher speeds. It is possible the designers thought mostly about the use of the computer fan to cool only the power supply, located together in a sub-housing within the computer housing, and did not consider the other components then contemplated, such as expansion cards, that would need forced air cooling in addition to natural convection from air inlet and outlet ports and from other openings permitting ambient air inlet and outlet.
I not only discovered that temperatures in these computers were excessive but I also conceived the idea that it might be possible to achieve the needed additional cooling within the pre-existing, normal computer housing and within the space limits provided before for a power unit and fan sub-housing, and without change of internal power supply components or change of external features such as power supply receptacles and on-off switch. I conceived of measures, within such tight sub-housing limitations, to increase fan cooling capacities to the needed level, i.e., to decrease operating temperatures within the IBM PC and XT computers to the level of about 102.degree., assuming ambient temperatures are around 77.degree., for examples. It will be understood that the problem of overheating of a personal computer can be intensified during summer weather with elevated ambient temperatures, unless ambient temperatures are strictly limited by ample airconditioning. Excessive heat can cause strange things to happen in a computer, as well as causing shortening of the lifespan of expensive plug-in boards, etc., that have been added to the system.
The objectives of my invention include: to provide an improved cooling system for personal computers, particularly IBM PC and XT personal computers; to reduce the level of internal temperatures in such computers for longer component life, greater expandability and better reliability; to decrease air intake restrictions between inlet to the computer and outlet from the computer and to reduce existing back pressures limiting air flow through the computer; to provide for retrofitting personal computers with my new sub-housing, incorporating the power supply and fan means, without requiring modification to computer housing and to its other contents and air inlets and outlets, i.e., to be able to install merely be removing the screws securing the old power supply/fan sub-housing and installing my new power supply/fan sub-housing with the same screws; and to improve air circulation with a new power supply/fan sub-housing fitting within the same space envelope as the old power supply/fan sub-housing.
My invention will be best understood, together with additional advantages and objectives thereof, when read with reference to the drawings.